addict

1 of 2

noun

ad·​dict ˈa-(ˌ)dikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
plural addicts
1
: one exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity
a drug addict
opioid addicts
a gambling addict
2
: one strongly inclined to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly
a television addict
chocolate addicts

addict

2 of 2

verb

ad·​dict ə-ˈdikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
addicted; addicting; addicts

transitive verb

: to cause addiction in (someone)
addicts … find it convenient to addict several other personsD. W. Maurer and V. H. Vogel
Hard-core fitness freaks are addicting themselves to all manner of hybrid mind/body activities …Rick Marin et al.
see also addicted, addicting

Examples of addict in a Sentence

Noun an inspiring story about addicts who seek help and manage to kick their habit science-fiction addicts who eagerly await each new installment in the series
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Counterfeiters have a higher recidivism rate than heroin addicts, and in 2006 he was arrested after getting into an argument with his son, Art Williams III, who had also begun counterfeiting. Jason Kersten, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024 Despite his success as an artist, Debora was still a drug addict and still in a gang. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Greetings online sleuths, true crime addicts, conspiracy theorists, and Swifites with an unnerving ability to sniff out video Easter eggs, and welcome to day 60 of Britain’s Missing Princess. Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024 Orange brings back the characters from the first book, where narration duties rotated among a cast of voluble and charming junkies, Internet and food addicts, criminals and aspiring criminals, deadbeat dads, dying mothers. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The measure included a $6.4-billion bond to build more treatment beds for homeless people who are mentally ill or substance abuse addicts. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 People with clinical social media addiction levels experience those same effects but to a great degree, with their habit patterns around social media resembling that of an addict. Annie Margaret, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024 More frequently, traffickers lure Native Americans into becoming dealers by giving away an initial supply of drugs and turning them into addicts indebted to the cartels. Lisa Cavazuti, NBC News, 10 Feb. 2024 Her biological mother was an intravenous drug addict. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
And he is charged with knowingly possessing the revolver despite the restrictions against people addicted to drugs owning firearms. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Newsom’s Proposition 1— a proposal to pump more money into treating homeless people who are mentally ill, drug addicted or alcoholics — may finally pass after vote counting is completed. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 And if people got addicted to figuring things out for themselves, they’d be inoculated against having to take the word of whatever bullies happened to be in power. Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Addiction professionals determine whether and how severely a person is addicted to alcohol through an 11-question test called the Alcohol Use Disorder assessment. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 According to a number of small studies, between a third and two-thirds of the people who were addicted to opioids or crack cocaine and were treated with the compound in a therapeutic setting were effectively cured of their habits, many after just a single session. Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Still, numerous metro Detroiters, imbued with a century-long culture of driving alone, and addicted to personal tastes in music or podcasts, just might play passive-aggressive on carpooling. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024 Moran, 38, had schizophrenia and anxiety disorder and was addicted to drugs and alcohol, his family said. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 Over the next century and beyond, Britain and other colonial powers, joined by American and Indian merchants, amassed unimaginable wealth by getting the Chinese addicted to opium. Arun A.k., Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'addict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of addict entry 2

Verb

earlier, "to give over, surrender, apply or devote (oneself) habitually," borrowed from Latin addictus, past participle of addīcere "to assign (property), make over, hand over, surrender," from ad- ad- + dīcere "to speak, say" — more at diction

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of addict was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near addict

Cite this Entry

“Addict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addict. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

addict

1 of 2 verb
ad·​dict ə-ˈdikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
1
: to devote or surrender oneself to something habitually
addicted to detective stories
2
: to cause to make a habit of using a drug
nicotine is addicting

addict

2 of 2 noun
ad·​dict ˈad-(ˌ)ikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
1
: one who is addicted (as to a drug)
2
: a person devoted to something
a TV addict

Medical Definition

addict

1 of 2 transitive verb
ad·​dict ə-ˈdikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
: to cause addiction in (someone)

addict

2 of 2 noun
ad·​dict ˈad-(ˌ)ikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
: one exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity
a drug addict
opioid addicts
a gambling addict

Legal Definition

addict

1 of 2 transitive verb
ad·​dict ə-ˈdikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
: to cause (a person) to become physiologically dependent upon a drug

addict

2 of 2 noun
ad·​dict ˈa-dikt How to pronounce addict (audio)
: one who is addicted to a drug

More from Merriam-Webster on addict

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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